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So, yeah, the softshell turtle hot pot was delicious!

Huh? Did I skip too much? Well…

Let me fill you in. First, I started with the classic turtle blood orange juice cocktail. Lily and Arisa had wine cocktails. Then, we had some sashimi, like the meat from the legs and liver. The hot pot was made by putting effort into shaving off parts of the shell and extracting broth from other areas. It was massive! Finally, we finished with some porridge. I guess it was a fairly typical way to enjoy a softshell turtle hot pot? I’m not entirely sure.

I made quite a bit, and all of us had seconds, so we ended up with very full bellies. Burp!

After eating, we lounged around in the living room. Our stomachs were full, and we were all feeling warm and cozy, so none of us wanted to move.

But I had to muster some energy and head to the bath before bedtime. It’s been a tiring day with a big catch, after all.

Even after I came back from the bath, Lily and Arisa were still in the living room, looking somewhat drowsy.

“Both of you, Take a bath and go to bed already. You must be tired after today.”
“Hmm? Oh, you’re right. We should go to the bath.”
“I-I think I’ll pass on the bath today… I’m a bit tired…”
“In that case, you can take it tomorrow morning.”
“Y-Yeah, I’ll do that.”

Arisa headed off to the bath at her own pace, but Lily seemed a bit restless and went back to her room.

“???”

She was acting a little strange… Well, never mind, it’s time for me to get some rest… Tomorrow, I need to start looking for our next quest early in the morning.

…Or so were my plans at first.

After returning to my room, I started thinking about what I could make from the materials of that huge turtle magic beast we defeated. I came up with various ideas, like creating a tonic from its blood. So, I ended up making a new daily potion! Its effects were much stronger than the previous ones! I had to use diluted ones depending on the situation. It’s guaranteed to lead to something crazy otherwise!

…Oh, by the way, I haven’t used it, don’t get me wrong. I have a rule not to do my daily routine outside my home.

In the end, I didn’t fall asleep until the middle of the night.

But, in the morning, I woke up on time. Habits are scary things.

Suppressing a yawn and rubbing my sleepy eyes, I went to the living room. Nobody was there, as usual.

However, even after waiting for a while, nobody seemed to be waking up. Lily was in charge of making breakfast today, but maybe she overslept? Should I call out to her and wake her up?

I approached Lily’s room, and I could sense someone inside. It seemed like she was moving around, but she didn’t come out. Weird.

I decided to knock on the door. Knock, knock.

“Lily? Are you up?”

Crack! Thud!….Rustle.

“???”

…Huh? What’s she up to?

Click, clack. I heard the lock being turned, and Lily peeked half of her face from the slightly open door. There was a distinct smell emanating from her room. Wait, is this…?

“W-What’s the matter!?”
“Oh, well… You didn’t wake up despite it being morning so…”
“Huh!? Morning?! No way, it’s morning already!?”

Ah… Yeah, I got the picture.

“Considering you mentioned being tired last night, how about we take today as a day off?”
“Oh, yes! I’m so sorry!”
“No need to apologize. Yesterday was quite an adventure. Well then, take your time…”
“Yes, goodnight…”

Thud. The door closed. And silence. Behind the door, there was movement again, rather vigorous movement, to be precise. Oh boy…

I went to check on Arisa’s room next, and it seemed like she was also in there, no signs of rest, still actively doing something. Hmm…

Well, it was a softshell turtle hotpot after all, so it’s no wonder they’re feeling energetic, right? Plus, both of them probably weren’t used to such stimulating substances…

And considering it was a magic beast, not just an ordinary softshell turtle, and one that had grown so large, I guess the effects are stronger than regular hotpot. Probably.

Come to think of it, I sensed that they were awake all night, but it wasn’t just my imagination, it seems. But going at it all night until morning, that’s quite something…

Hmm? Why am I fine with eating something so hazardous, you ask? I can endure it just fine, you know? I’m not even enduring it, actually. I’m just perfectly fine.

I have my special potion and all, so I guess my body is used to these things? Who knows.

…What’s with this guilt I’m feeling?

I decided not to disturb Arisa and left a note slipped under her door saying, “We’re taking today off.” Then, I moved on.

Let’s make breakfast, something easy for them both to eat.

Hmm… considering hydration, maybe a soup? Throw in some meat and make it like a pot-au-feu. And for the bread, just put it in a basket and cover it with a cloth. That should do it. After finishing the meal, I returned to my room.

Now, what should I do today since I suddenly have some free time?

Hmm… should I continue making something, or maybe take a short nap since I’m a bit sleep-deprived…? …The lingering sense from the direction of their rooms is making me rather unsettled.

…This won’t do, I’ll get into a weird mood if I stay here! Alright, time to go out!

With that decision in mind, I locked the front door and headed out. I don’t want to disturb their fun, so no visitors allowed, you hear? I also closed the gate leading to the fence surrounding the garden. Yeah, it should look like no one’s home. Good, good.

I briefly considered leaving Norn behind as a guard dog, but she refused. Mom, you’re too overprotective! I’m not a child anymore! …Just kidding.

Thinking about such nonsense, I casually checked out the street stalls. I’ve been staying in this town for quite a while, so the townsfolk were no longer surprised to see Norn. The only ones still surprised were the new adventurers who arrived in town because of the demand created by the Goblin Legion.

Oh, there’s the baby turtle magic beast.

Oh, they’ve already caught and are selling them. The Mayor is really quick to respond. I should buy them all up. Yesterday’s turtle soup was delicious. The vendor, a young man, looked surprised as I went on a buying spree. But I don’t care. Oh, they’re selling them over there too. Let’s buy those too.

And like that, I went on a shopping spree. Yep, now I can have turtle hotpot whenever I want. Using the large magic beast as a material for various things is something I want to do, so I feel like it’s a waste to use it all as food… but it’s so delicious… I’m really in a dilemma.

Now that I’ve thoroughly plundered the market, what should I do next? I don’t really feel like taking on a quest by myself, and I might get scolded for that. Well then, maybe I’ll just take a leisurely stroll around the town’s surroundings.

…So, I ventured outside the town’s fence. Norn looked a bit uncertain, but I won’t be going too far, so it should be fine, right?

Now, which way should I go? Oh, I remember the southern part of town being where the fields are, right? I haven’t been there yet, so let’s take a peek.

After a short walk, I found an open area that was entirely covered in fields. Well, fields in the sense that about half of them looked like they had just sprouted. There were farmer-looking people who seemed puzzled and were looking this way, but I ignored them and continued my exploration. Hmm, are there any unusual crops here…? By the way, I’m using [Appraisal], so I can identify crops even in their sprout state.